Using the methods of ab initio quantum chemistry, a new pathway has been identified for the gas-phase reaction of CH3 + OH --> CH2 + H2O. The new pathway occurs on a potential energy surface corresponding to a triplet spin state of the overall system. The reaction, via this pathway, produces a ground-state, tripler methylene fragment and may be written as CH3((X) over tilde(2)A(2) ") + OH((X) over tilde(2) Pi(Omega))-->CH2((X) over tilde(3)B(1)) + H2O. The transition state for this hydrogen abstraction has been calculated using second-order Moller-Plesset (MP2) perturbation theory. Higher level calculations at the geometry of the transition state yield an activation energy for the reaction of E-a = 25.15 kJ mol(-1) at 0 K. A portion of the reaction path has been computed and has been used to calculated rate constants for the reaction. Rate constants were computed using both conventional transition-state theory and variational transition-state theory both with and without tunneling corrections. The predicted barrier to the reaction precludes the triplet-abstraction pathway from being important in the low-temperature reaction dynamics of the CH3 + OH system. Our predictions show, however, that, at the higher temperatures prevalent in hydrocarbon flames (1000-2200 K), the reaction will play an important role.